MS TIERNEY– To ask the Minister for Employment and Trade: In relation to the job losses at the Stawell Gold Mine: what assistance will the Baillieu government provide Stawell Gold Mine workers who have recently been made redundant, and will be made redundant due to the mines forecast closure.
ANSWER:
I am informed that:
Crocodile Gold Corporation, the owners of the Stawell Gold Mine, has indicated that the existing mine is nearing the end of its economic life and that underground mining operations are scheduled to finish at the end of 2013.
The Department of State Development, Business and Innovation will coordinate information and support for affected employees including from the Victorian government’s Workers in Transition Program.
I note that a new mining project, in a different location at Stawell, is currently being considered by Crocodile Gold. A new mining project for Stawell could generate significant employment in the longer term.
The Department of State Development, Business and Innovation is engaging with Crocodile Gold, the Northern Grampians Shire Council and the relevant government agencies on the approvals process that such a project would require.
